Living Before the Throne of Fire – Daniel 7
Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; for their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of
troublemaking. Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the
rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24: 1-4
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his
house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it did not fall, for it was found on the rock…But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not
do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matthew 7: 24-27
"I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow,
and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery
stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times
ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Daniel 7: 9-10
I. OVERVIEW OF DANIEL
A. Why study Daniel? Daniel helps us in several main areas.
1. Daniel helps develop deep devotional intimacy with Jesus, the King of Kings; and the Father, the Just Judge of the
earth. This intimacy develops the core identity of the heart, and prepares the heart for the storms of life culminating for
many with the ‘end-times’ storm approaching.
2. Daniel is a major ‘key’ in unlocking the book of Revelation and end-times prophecy.
B. Daniel is an example of a person who from an early age learned to live a very specific cycle in life. Right from
boyhood Daniel developed in the knowledge of God and by the gift of grace [God’s imparted strength] adjusted his life as
a demonstration of his gratitude and love for God. These adjustments brought a cycle of blessing and difficulty that developed
meekness, greater depths of the knowledge of God and a powerful prophetic spirit. This lifestyle was a gift of God to the
generation in which Daniel lived and for us today. It is my premise that we now live in a generation similar to that in Daniel’s day.
I believe God is calling forth many ‘Daniels’ and he is waiting for a response.
C. Summary – What was Daniel’s cycle? Daniel sought the knowledge of God through prayer and fasting. God
revealed himself to Daniel through the scriptures. Daniel’s main revelation about God was “My God is Judge.” Daniel
adjusted his life as a loving response to the revelations given him by God. God saw this as a demonstration of love and
rewarded Daniel with greater revelation through life’s experiences. This life cycle lead Daniel to the courts of kings and to
lion’s dens. Wherever Daniel found himself he knew God would be his faithful just judge.
II. OVERVIEW OF DANIEL 7 – “DANIEL, WHAT DO YOU SEE?”
A. Overview of Daniel 7 - This chapter calls us to new viewpoints and to adjust our lives in light of what we see from
heaven’s perspective.
1. Daniel 7: 1-8 – Vision of the Four Great Beasts
2. Daniel 7: 9-10 – The Ancient of Days & His Throne of Fire
3. Daniel 7: 11-12 – Judgment on the Beasts
4. Daniel 7: 13-14 – Jesus – The Son of Man & Reward for an Adjusted Life
5. Daniel 7: 15-28 – The Interpretation of the Vision & Daniel’s Troubled Heart
B. The Principle of Heaven’s Perspective – Seeing life and the history of humanity from the perspective of the Ancient
of Days and His throne. Getting a view of my life and the world around me from the throne of fire and living in partnership
with that perspective. (Ephesians 2: 4-7)
III. TWO-FOLD PERSPECTIVE OF DANIEL 7– WHAT DO YOU SEE?
“I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four
great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.” Daniel 7: 3
A. “…I saw in my vision by night, …four great beasts.”
1. Daniel 7: 4 - The lion – Babylon.
2. Daniel 7: 5 – The bear – Media & Persia
3. Daniel 7: 6 – The leopard – Greece
4. Daniel 7: 7-8, 11, 19-27 – Rome & “The little horn” – Antichrist
a. What did these beasts display while ruling the earth? They demonstrated arrogant attitudes speaking pompous words.
They built idols of themselves calling for self-worship, they devoured nations and peoples with no care for the lives of men,
they crushed and trampled men using the lives of others for their own gain. They exerted dominance over the lives of the
godly committing unrighteous acts
b. Worst of all, these unrighteous men did not live humble lives before the throne of heaven and the Ancient of Days.
B. “I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated…”
1. Daniel saw a courtroom set with thrones and the judge known as the Ancient of Days sitting on a throne of fire. Beastly
kingdoms will come and go but the Ancient of Days has a throne that is unchangeable and unmovable. His seat is the highest
of all. You cannot appeal to any higher court and are invited to sit in a seat (throne) with Him partnering in the decrees he
gives.
2. Ancient of Days and his appearance.
a. Garment as white as snow. He is pure and there is no spot on him. He is holy. His judge’s robes are not black like
mans but white.
He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He
shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod
of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His
loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11: 3-5
b. The hair of His head was like pure wool. His governmental authority and leadership is perfect. His goal is to have
voluntary lovers all over the earth and rule the nations of the earth from Jerusalem as King of the Jews [Israel]. Hair also
speaks of dedication. (Lamentations 4: 7)
c. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. When He judges, he judges rightly and every thing men have
done will be revealed by fire. Fire will test the heart like floods tested the earth in Noah’s day. In the end this test of fire will
show each man’s work for what it is. He demonstrated through the fiery furnace of Daniel 2 that he judged three men’s
decisions by fire and found them ‘not guilty’. And in the end, we must be prepared to call ‘beastly’ what he calls ‘beastly.’ In
Dan. 7 God shows Daniel ‘beasts,’ in Revelation 13 God shows John a beast and Revelation 17/18 a harlot. (Isaiah 66: 16;
1 Corinthians 3: 13-15; 1 Peter 1: 6-7; Revelation 3: 18)
IV. JESUS – LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON - A MAN ON FIRE
And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days,
and they brought Him (Jesus) near before Him (Father). Then to Him (Jesus) was given dominion and glory
and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him…Daniel 7: 13-14
And having turned, I saw…One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded
about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes
like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many
waters. Revelation 1: 12-15
Set Me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the
grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods
drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. Song. 8: 5-7
A. Scripture clearly shows the affections, nature and personality of the Godhead. Jesus, the God Man, we are told in
Revelation has eyes like a flame of fire. We see the same passionate fire of love in his eyes that is in the Father. He is
very possessive of the objects of his obsession: human beings. It is a fire of love at the very core of who they are.
B. The passionate pursuit of one another evident in the Godhead is an example for us all. Jesus leaving heaven’s
glory and coming to earth as a man represents to us his (Jesus) willingness to change his life for the sake of loving the
Father. Though many waters, and the flood of the cross try to extinguish that flame of love between them, the ‘waters’ only
acted like an accelerant on the fire of love in Jesus’ heart.
V. JESUS AND THE REWARD OF LIVING BEFORE A THRONE OF FIERY LOVE
And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days,
and they brought Him (Jesus) near before Him (Father). Then to Him (Jesus) was given dominion and glory
and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him…Daniel 7: 13-14
A. In Daniel 7 there was only One who came before the Ancient of Days and was rewarded with authority and dominion
over the earth. It is a picture of Jesus, a man of flaming love who changed his life (came as a man) and lived on earth in
love with his father.
B. Jesus invites us to adjust our lives on earth and live before a throne where love is the flaming core reality. He invites us
closer and demonstrates the rewards of responding in love now to One on the throne who is consumed with love for us.
C. John prophesied of those who would have victory over the beast. He is given a glimpse into heaven of those standing
on a sea of glass mingled with the fire of God’s throne singing a song of victory to God regarding his righteous judgments
in their lives.
‘And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have victory over the beast, over
his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of
God. They sing the song of Moses, …and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and
glorify Your name? For You alone are holy, for all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your
judgments have been manifested.”’ Revelation 15: 2- 4
VI. ENVY – THE ENEMY OF WHOLEHEARTEDNESS AND ABANDON – PSALM 73
Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps
had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are
no pangs in their death, …they are not plagued like other men…. Behold, these are the ungodly, who are
always at ease; they increase in riches. … When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me –
Until I went into the sanctuary [the throne room] of God; then I understood their end. Surely You set them in
slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are brought to desolation, as in a moment.
They are utterly consumed with terrors. Psalm 73: 1-5, 12, 16-20
A. Asaph identifies one of the greatest enemies of wholeheartedness called envy. Envy – that slippery, insidious belief
that God is willfully withholding good from me. Envy will often raise its ugly head accusing God that he is unfair and stingy
with his blessings and unreasonable with his expectations.
B. Envy develops in a very simple context. As I choose to adjust my life because I love God, I come under his leadership
and his word governs my life. His word creates boundaries for me, boundaries I keep for the sake of love. But next door to
me I have a neighbor who does not adjust his life. He lives for himself doing what he pleases with his time and money. He
makes no lifestyle adjustments for the sake of loving God. In that context I live for years seeing my neighbor develop in
material wealth with no fear of God or his future judgments. The fact that I even consider warring for deeper treasures and
superior pleasures moves the depths of God’s heart.
C. Asaph admitted that his war with envy had almost caused him to slip from his secure place of loving God. As he
confessed his struggle with it, he connected with God’s love for him. He stepped closer to the throne of grace (fire) in his
time of need and got a different perspective from the Father who does not judge by what he sees and hears. Asaph
admitted that he felt like a beast having these envious thoughts. The Father looked down and saw something different.
My heart was grieved, …I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me
by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73: 21-24
D. The realization that envy was causing his heart to slip from his gaze on the goodness of God caused Asaph to run
to God in confession. God helped him by showing Asaph the end of those who do not adjust their lives here on earth for
the sake of loving God. This released a song of gratitude in Asaph’s heart. Daniel saw a similar event in Daniel 7. Daniel
saw the judgment of wicked men who did not change while having the wealth of time, money, and position in this life.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon the earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and
my heart fail; but God [the one with an emerald rainbow of mercy around his throne – Rev. 4] is the strength
of my heart… Psalm 73: 21-24